Among the "Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources" implemented at the end of December 2021, product items corresponding to limited disposable products have been expanded, and disposable products in the food service business and facilities providing meals such as restaurants and cafes have been banned since November 2022. The Ministry of Environment suspended the imposition of fines by operating a participatory guidance period until the environmental signs were certified in 2024. In addition, the Ministry of Environment is currently visiting local food establishments to distribute regulatory promotional materials or promote the system through online media. As such, Korea is rapidly implementing regulations on disposable products as environmental problems have become severe in recent years. Then, what about the results of strict regulations on plastic by restaurant stores such as cafes? Also, to what extent will disposable products be restricted in the case of overseas cafes?

Currently, Korea restricts disposable plastic bags at cafes and major [1]supermarkets, convenience stores, supermarkets, and bakeries. The revised Disposable Goods Regulation Act is currently undergoing a guidance period. As Korea began to enforce disposable product regulations, it was stipulated that cafes should use substitute materials for plastic, such as providing paper straws instead of plastic straws. According to a report by Hankyoreh in January this year, 25.3% of the 637 cafes used paper cups. In other words, a quarter of cafes in downtown Seoul have joined the bill to protect the environment. Some say that the government's regulations are fatal to self-employed people. Paper straws, often used as alternatives, are classified as general waste when thrown away, incinerated, and buried. However, unlike large franchise stores, which can pay for alternatives two or three times more expensive than regular plastic containers or straws at low costs, small business owners are skeptical about the policy as they suffer from cost unless they receive much support. According to News Prime, in November 2021, a cafe owner said in an interview, "If they want us to do this at a time when customers are reluctant to use multi-use cups, it means that we should close the door if they put an additional burden on the price of beans and milk." "The Ministry of Environment should provide some conservation," he said.

Then, how is the use of disposable products regulated in cafes overseas? The UK, where 8.5 billion plastic straws are thrown away, banned plastic straws, stirring sticks, and cotton swabs used in cafes at the end of 2020. Since April last year, the Plastic Packaging Tax[2] System has been implemented. According to KOTRA's 2021 report, the UK expects to reduce its plastic use by 235 million pounds in the fiscal year of 2023/24 and 210 million pounds in the fiscal year of 2025/26. In addition, in January this year, Britain enacted legislation banning disposable plastic forks and bowls, polystyrene resin cups, and plastic balloon holders. However, a report by the British NGO Green Alliance in January 2020 pointed out limitations in plastic regulations, such as increased carbon emissions, as companies replaced other packaging materials instead of limited plastic packaging. Following the UK, India has also banned straws, knives, forks, and food wrappers made of disposable plastic starting in July 2022. The regulated items include plastic forks, spoons, trays, and as many as 21 plastic items are prohibited. However, as the number of plastic-related workers reaches 1 million, it is feared that there will be employment difficulties in the plastic production industry while regulating plastic use, according to the All India Plastic Manufactures Association. As such, positions on disposable plastic regulations in cafes are being divided overseas.

It is a disposable item that is free of charge when consumed outside the store, but plastic, such as disposable straws, paper cups, or bars for stirring drinks, is not provided for meals in cafes. At a time when the environment should be actively considered, various campaigns such as zero-waist and tumbler movements have also emerged, showing efforts and practices to protect the environment in "cafes" that are visited the most in daily life. For example, all actors in society are focusing on protecting the environment, including ESG management of companies, consumers' green life, and the government's eco-friendly policies. The disposable product regulation bill, which begins with a cafe, will affect society and be the first step in daily life to move away from plastic naturally.

[1] Stores whose scale is over 165m2

[2] A tax system that applies to Packaging that is pre-predominantly plastic by weight, which does not contain more than 30% of recycled plastic manufactured and imported from the UK.